


The Scrapbook

by iloveitblue



Series: Prompts [33]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, M/M, phil has cancer, tfios inspired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-08
Updated: 2014-06-08
Packaged: 2018-02-03 20:41:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1756563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveitblue/pseuds/iloveitblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Steve gives Clint and Phil a gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Scrapbook

Steve entered the room as quietly as he could. Clint was sitting beside the cot, looking at Phil like the man was his everything, and there was nothing he could do but watch him slip away. It broke Steve’s heart to see them both like this but reality is a cruel mistress.

Clint rubbed at his eyes when he noticed Steve standing there. “Oh, hey Steve. What are you doing here so late?” he tried smiling.

Steve smiled back at the archer. “Thought you needed the company.” He answered truthfully. Natasha had gone home to shower and grab Clint a change of clothes. So Steve took it upon himself to stay with the two of them this time. “And I… uh… made you guys this.” He bit his lip as he showed off a scrapbook. Steve walked towards Clint and handed him the thing before he grabbed a seat next to the archer. “It’s not much, but I thought it might cheer you up.”

Clint held the book in his hand for a second, looked up at their fearless leader and then back at the book. He opened to the first page and it felt like his breath was knocked out of him.

It was a picture of Phil and Clint on the day Phil had proposed to him. Clint was hugging Phil while Phil smiled at the camera. He held a sign that with the words  _He said Yes! :D_

Clint remembers that night. He got back to the Avengers tower feeling tired. When he stepped out of the elevator to the common floor, there was a trail of rose petals. Feeling curious, he followed the trail. The roses stopped in front of the TV where a yellow sticky note hang. It read  _Your smile blinds me but I can’t stop staring._

Clint bit his lip to keep from smiling. It was futile. He took the note and found another one behind it. _P.S. Go to the kitchen. :)_

He made his way to the kitchen trying hard not to feel excited. As soon as he entered, he found the next sticky note stuck on the fridge door.  _Your kisses are so sweet, the first time I tasted them, I couldn’t stop myself from wanting more._

Clint took this one too. There was another note on top of the second one. This time it was a simple arrow pointing to the counter. That’s when Clint noticed a cookie jar sitting atop it. The Avengers didn’t have a cookie jar. He took the lid off of it and emptied the jar into his hand. A single chocolate chip cookie fell out followed by another note.  _Cookie Monster once said, ‘Friend is someone to share the last cookie with’ You’re more than that to me, so you can have the last cookie._

Clint found another note that told him to go to the gym, so he did. On one of the punching bags was another note.  _Your sitreps are a nightmare to deal with. And yet, I look forward to them every week._

The further Clint got with his adventure, the more ridiculous the notes get. Making Clint grin like an idiot at each one.

_When Fury called me out on my OBVIOUS crush on you, I nearly spat my coffee. Was I really that unsubtle?_

_No. Stop it. I told you no. Stop. -Me when I’m trying to be mad at you and you give me the puppy eyes. Seriously, that’s unfair_

_I have a secret. I’m Batman. I trust you with this secret._

_Every time you wear a suit, I want to lock you away and rip it off of you. with my teeth._

_I wanna wake up to you every day._

_You make the best blueberry pancakes I’ve ever tasted. What do you put in those? Strawberries?_

The last note, he found at the balcony. It was stuck to a vase carrying a single red rose. _I’m just really in love with you._  Clint took the rose and smiled with it against his lips.

"I really am, you know." Clint turned at the sound Phil’s voice. "In love with you." He finished. Clint grinned at the man as Phil stepped closer. "Also, you get one more note." Phil reached behind him and pulled out another sticky note. This time though, it was stuck to the front of a velvet box. Clint’s breath hitched as he watched Phil get down on one knee and open the box. the words on the note, rendering him speechless.  _Will you marry me?_

Clint could feel tears starting in his eyes as he stared at the picture, that was definitely a night he wouldn’t forget. He turned the page on the book and found their wedding picture. 

Their foreheads were against each other’s and they were both smiling like lovesick teenagers. Clint had his arms around Phil’s shoulders and Phil had his hands on Clint’s waist.

The picture had been taken before the kiss itself. They were standing behind glass windows with the sun behind them, Clint wasn’t sure how Peter managed to take that picture, but it was amazing.

The celebration had been modest, everything taking place in the Avengers tower’s most spacious floor. With only their closest friends as guests.

Tony had wanted to go big. Live National Broadcast, Celebrity invites, Five-Star catering, Limo rides, helicopters, 20-tier cake, writing in the sky; the whole shebang. Luckily, Pepper took over the wedding preparations with which Tony was  _not allowed_  to help. 

Steve and Bruce took over the cooking detail. Natasha, Skye, and Jemma handled wardrobe. Maria, Thor and Jane for the flowers. Darcy, Fitz and Tripp took charge of the decorations. Fury and May were in charge of the guest list. Peter handled the photography, of course. While Pepper handled the rest.

Tony was able to sneak in fireworks though. Which was admittedly beautiful.

Their vows were far from ordinary. Sure, there was the cliched  _I vow to love you even if you grow old and crinkly and can’t make blueberry pancakes anymore_  but there were also a lot of references of their times together, which frankly none of the others understood, not even Fury. But that’s okay, these vows were meant to be just for them.

The next page was of the two of them standing in front of a collapsed building. Clint had his arm over Phil’s shoulder and was making a peace sign, while Phil looked at him with obvious exasperation in his smile. 

When Clint turned the page, it was a picture of Phil sitting in a wheelchair that was being pushed by Clint. They were talking animatedly at each other, but as Clint stared at the picture more, he can’t ignore the plastic band around Phil’s wrist.

The day Phil got diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, they were both admittedly brought down by the news. Phil took the news in stride answering the doctor’s questions and firing a few himself. Clint on the other hand, did not speak. 

When they came out of the doctor’s office, Phil was already wearing his hospital gown and bracelet, sitting in a wheelchair. They had discussed what was going to happen from then on and the procedures that Phil had to go through. 

Clint was in a daze until Phil had asked him what they were going to have for lunch. Because he wanted donuts. To which Clint was offended because Donuts are not considered lunch. And Phil countered with but the food in the Hospital cafeteria is gross and that he’d rather have donuts. That’s how the debate on what to get for lunch that wasn’t gross or donuts began.

Clint wondered when he became the mature one.

The next picture was taken in front of a mirror. Phil sat in front of it while Clint stood behind him, shaving his husband’s head. Clint was biting his lip in obvious concentration and Phil just looked at him as though he was amused through the mirror.

Clint was nervous that time. He was almost never nervous, but he’s never shaved anyone before. He turned on the shaver and as it vibrated in his hands, he wondered what the worst case scenario would be.

He stared at Phil’s reflection, fear in his eyes while Phil only looked amused, the bastard. Clint took a deep breath in and tried to remind himself that he had the world’s steadiest hands and set off to work.

He was halfway through when a flash of light momentarily blinded him. When his eyes refocused, there was a big part of Phil’s hair missing. Clint turned the shaver off and began panicking, apologizing to Phil and yelling at Peter. Then Phil laughed. 

Clint stopped panicking and asked what the hell was so damn funny. Wheezing, Phil said he was supposed to be shaved bald, so it really didn’t matter if he took off a huge chunk. Clint stared at him for a minute through the mirror.

Oh yeah.

Clint turned the page to find Phil sitting up at his cot and Clint cuddled up against his stomach, sleeping. Phil had his finger against his lip to tell the Peter to keep quiet. Phil’s other hand rested on top of Clint’s head. 

At Phil’s first Chemo, Clint had stayed up all night waiting for Phil to come back to his room. 

When the nurses and doctors returned a passed out Phil to the room, Clint helped them move the man to the cot. Clint held Phil’s hand as the man slept quietly. 

Feeling the tiredness set in his eyes, Clint started to feel sleepy. He swore he was going to just take a small nap beside Phil just so he could hold the man’s hand a little longer.

He climbed the cot and snuggled up close, careful not to jostle any of the tubes on Phil’s arm. His hand still intertwined with Phil’s and his head gently set beside the man’s chest, his eyes closed comforted by the steady rhythm of Phil’s breathing.

There were pages and pages of these pictures, showing Phil’s progress as he went through tons of Chemotherapy sessions. Every picture had two constants. Clint beside him, and Phil’s smile. 

"He isn’t going to go down without a fight." Steve said when he noticed Clint lingering on the last page. 

"I know." Clint croaked. "Thank you, Steve; and please tell Peter, I said thanks."

Steve nodded wordlessly and they sat in silence, Clint holding on to the book and opening it every once in a while.

—-

Years later, Clint stumbles into their room looking for a book he owed Natasha. He padded across the room to the shelf of books, he checked title after title on the spine until he noticed a brown scrap book along with the others. 

He took it out and smiled fondly. He took the book with him and made his way to the living room. Clint dropped himself on the couch beside Phil and moved the older man’s arm so that it fell over his shoulders and he could snuggle up to Phil.

"What’s that?" Phil asked.

"Steve gave it to me when you were in Chemo."

"Oh, yeah. I remember that. Peter used to tail us both everywhere."

Clint laughed. “Yeah. That squirt wouldn’t back off no matter how much I tell him to back off.”

"He takes good pictures though."

"Yeah, he does."

They sat for the rest of the afternoon looking at the scrap book and reminiscing the pictures. Laughing every once in a while at the memories each photo held.

**Author's Note:**

> Can be found [here](http://promptmephlint.tumblr.com/post/88086104171/the-original-ran-a-little-long-with-a-mini-story) and [here ](http://promptmephlint.tumblr.com/post/88107753966/i-got-carried-away-i-apologize-part-one-not) on tumblr.


End file.
